Arrangement for letter-files and the like



S. RINGER.

ARRANGEMENT FOR LETTER FILES AND THE LIKE.

0 2. 9 1T H BM m E Awv d2 6 M 6 t m APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1917-1,336,584.

INVENTOI? 1% 4 TTOH/VEV S. RINGER.

ARRANGEMENT FOR LETTER FlLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1917.

1,336,584. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR StiREN RINGER, 0F COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

AIRCRANGEMENT FOR LETTER-FILES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed March 26, 1917. Serial No. 157,390.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SoREN RINGER, a subject of the King of Denmark,residing at No. 39 Vesterbrogade, city of Copenhagen, Kingdom ofDenmark, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Arrangements forLetter-Files and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention consists of an arrangement for filing letters,cards, papers and the like, and consists of a set of folders, which areplaced one behind the other in appointed order.

The primary object of the invention is automatically to indicate whenone or more of the folders, or partitions, have been removed or aremissing from the complete set. Other objectsand advantages of theinvention will appear from the following descrip tion taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification and illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention.I

Each folder is provided with one or more protruding tabs, to which thenecessary filing indicia are afiixed'. Besides these filing indicia,corresponding indicator signs are aflixed to the tabs, which inappearance, design, color, or in any other manner are in strikingcontrast with the filing .indicia.

When for instance the H folder is removed from the complete file, theindicator sign on the following folder will at once be-' comenoticeable, it being impossible to hide the indicator sign unless the Hfolder is replaced in its proper place.

The separate letter files consist of double leaved folders ,eachforminga container for filed matter, and it is necessary that there be a tab oneach leaf of each folder, because, should the tab be missing fromtheback leaf, theindicator sign on the following folder will at oncebecome visible when a thick accumulation of filed matter causesseparation of the two leaves.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a blank folder, double leaved with tabs on bothcovers.

Fig. 2 represents a similar folder on which H is the filing index and Gthe indicator sign on a background contrasting with the material fromwhich the folder is made.

Fig. 3 represents a folder similar to that of Fig. 1 on which 88 is thefiling index and 87 the indicator sign on a background from which catorsign both appearing on the front tab.

F ig.- 6 illustrates a folder and tabs similar to those of Fig. 5, butwith the back tab offset to the left of the front one the filin indexappearing on the back taband the indicator sign on the front one.

The arrangement of the present invention contemplates that the foldersof a set shall be placed one directly behind the other in a drawer, boxor other holder (not shown) which, in the ordinary and Well known mannermaintains their upper edges at a common level and their side edges in acommon vertical plane at each side'of the set.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 reference letter a is applied to the frontleaf of the double leaved folder or document container the-rein shown,I) denoting the back wall. The filing indicia, H in Fig. 2 and 88 inFig. 3, are respectively designated by c and d, and the indicator signs,G in Fig. 2 and 87 in Fig. 3, by f and 9. At e is shown a backgroundcolorcontrasting with the material of which the folder is made.

A ta'b, projecting preferably upwardl from the upper edge of each leafof eac folder, is provided, the front tab in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5carrying at its left the index character and, at a position to the rightof said index character, the indicator sigrn f .or g as the case may be.Proceeding front to rear of the set, the tabs of each folder are offsetto the left of those of the preceding folder sufliciently to expose theindex character ofthe rear folder but not so far as to make theindicator sign normally visible. The indicator sign of each folder is soplaced on the tab as to stand directly behind and so be normally hiddenby the tabs of the preceding folder. Obviously, by removal of anyfolder, the indicator sign of the succeeding folder is exposed, thelatter being made prominent over the general appearance of the whole setof folders by its striking contrast to the preceding. and succeedingindex characters and the material on which they are placed. The backleaf of the folder is in every instance provided with a tab which coversthe indicator sign on the front leaf of the succeeding folder. Veryfrequently a thick mass of letters or other matter to be filed is placedin one of the folders thereby separating the front and back leaves aconsiderable distance. Inasmuch as the back leaf'of one folder isjuxtaposed to the front leaf of the succeeding folder, such separationof the leaves of the forward folder would place the tab on the frontleaf of the forward folder sofar from the front leaf of the succeedingfolder that the indi cator sign on that succeeding folder would beexposed were it not for the tab provided on the back leaf of the forwardfolder, this latter tab being held closely against the front leaf of therear folder to hide its indicator sign.

Obviously the present invention could be carried ,out by "the use oftabs projecting from one side of the leaf or even from the bottomthereof, but in ordinary practice the tabs will project upwardly fromthe upper edge of each folder. Instead of letters or numerals, completewords, such as: Sunday, Monday, etc., or January, February, etc., orAkron, Albany, etc., or-any other series of division characters may beused on the folders, either as filing indicia or indicator signs. Theindicator sign can also be represented by designs, colors, or the like.The invention can also be applied to letter files and the likeconsisting of more than two leaves open i or closed in the form ofletter cases, letter b(I)OkS, envelop files, card index files, and theli re.

In Figs. 4 and '6 are illustrated double leavcd folders differing fromthose in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, in that the tab of the back leaf projectsto the left of the tab of the front leaf and carries the filing index,which in this instance happens to be the letter H. In Figs. 4 and 6 theshort tab of the front leaf carries the indicator sign.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate tabs attachable to the filing leaves, it beingone of the advantages of the present invention that by means of suchattachable tabs the ordinary type of filing leaves may be improved bythe simple addition of properly prepared tabs so that without departurefrom the physical characteristics of a given filing system such systemmay be provided with the advantageous features herein disclosed. Asillustrated in Fig. 5 the front and back leaves of the folder may beprovided with coinciding attachable tabs, the tab of the front leafbearing both the index character and the indicator sign, the tab of therear leaf being blank;- or the tab of the rear leaf may be offset to oneside of the front leaf tab as in Fig. 6 in which position it willnormally cover the indicator sign on the front leaf next behind it.Obviously the attachable tabs illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 might beattached to single leaf filing partitions.

It is further pointed out that many modifications may be made as regardsboth the constructions and dimensions of the several parts of the deviceherein illustrated and described without departing from the spirit ofthe present invention.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A file, comprising a set of expansible consecutively'indexed filecontainers having each a front and back wall, and tabs protruding onefrom each :of said walls,the tab on the front wall of each folder beingprovided with an exposed index character and an indicator sign normallycovered by the tab on the back wall of the preceding folder.

2. A file, com rising a set of expansible consecutively in exed filingcontainers having each a front and back wall, coinciding tabs protrudingone from each of said walls, the when the front'wall of each folderbeing provided with an exposed index character and an indicator signnormally covered by the tab on the back wall of the preceding folder,the tab on the rear wall of each folder being so positioned that byitsremoval from the set the indicator sign of the folder next behind itis exposed.

SOREN RINGER. Witnesses:

NELLIE M. FAILEY, MORRISON -T. HANKINS.

